


This is a Terrible Idea

by SansyFresh



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bittybones, Anxiety, Boss is basically Fell, Comics, Edgy is basically Red, Fluff, Lil Bro is a chill dude, Needs a better name tho, No Romance, Reader has a crappy life, Slice of Life, Then, but also bittys, cause why not, i was blanking on how to name them, pretty much just fluff, the comic references arent going to be a major plot point, they act like their counterparts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-17
Updated: 2017-06-27
Packaged: 2018-09-25 01:22:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9796139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SansyFresh/pseuds/SansyFresh
Summary: You're told by your psychiatrist that you have two choices.Either move in with someone, or get a Bitty. Guess which one you choose?





	1. Lil Bro

**Author's Note:**

> So, that was a fast reaction O_O Guess I'm continuing XD
> 
> Enjoy ^^

You stand outside of the adoption center, hands gripping the strap of your purse as you stare at your reflection in the glass door. This most definitely was  _ not _ your idea. You live alone, with a plethora of physical problems, emotional problems, focus problems...who the fuck thought it would be good for you to essentially raise a tiny person?!

 

You live alone in what could be considered a tiny house, despite your friends and family’s worries. It isn’t like you have a choice in the matter, but sometimes the loneliness did get a little overwhelming. So you had talked to your psychiatrist about it, and she recommended you either move in with someone, or look into getting what had been termed as a Bitty. It wasn’t a matter of if you wanted to do it, it was something you needed to do for your health.

 

So now, because just moving in with someone isn’t an option, you’re standing outside of a damn Bitty Adoption Center, scared out of your wits. Agoraphobia is a wonderful thing. You can feel your heartbeat picking up the longer you stand there, simply staring at the building, until you notice something moving in one of the windows. Looking over you find one of the...Lil Bros? Staring back at you. The two of you simply watch each other for a moment, before he disappears from the glass. You can almost feel your heart sinking. Why in the world did you agree to this?

 

“Are you alright, hun?” You jerk back a little, startled. A monster stands before you, a rabbit one by the look of them. Even at your moderate height it still seems like she’s incredibly small, but maybe that’s a good thing for Bittys. You swallow before answering, trying to make it seem like you aren’t about to fall into a fucking panic attack in front of this person you’ve never met before. There isn’t anything to be afraid of.

 

“I’m fine. I-I-I’m here to get a-a-a…” You pause, willing your damn voice to cooperate with you for at least one time in your life. You work through the sentence in your mind a couple times before trying again. “I’m here to get a Bitty.” The monster seems to study you for a moment before smiling and nodding, waving you inside.

 

“I’m sorry to say, we actually don’t have a lot of Bittys up for adoption right now...maybe ten at most? Have you ever had a Bitty before?” You follow the small monster into the center, which is mostly just a storefront for the room you’re in. You shake your head, then notice another Lil Bro (or is it the one from before?) sitting on the counter and staring at you once more.

 

“Well, I have a few pamphlets and things I could give you to read before you make a decision…My name’s Jacki by the way, nice to make your acquaintance.” You smile.

 

“My names Y/n, thank you.” You looked back over to the Lil Bro, who has a tiny cigarette dangling from his teeth. He seems to be studying you, unaware of just how uncomfortable it’s making you. You aren’t about to say anything though, not as Jacki returns from some corner of the room with an armful of brochures. You thank her and find a couple of chairs towards the front of the room, settling down to read. 

 

“You okay, kid?” You jolt at a sudden weight on your shoulder, tiny hands gripping your shirt. You try to look to see what it is, only to find that because of the position and your...more than healthy weight, it’s not exactly easy. Whoever it is just chuckles. “It’s fine, I’m not gonna bite your ear off or anything.”

 

You nod carefully. “I know. I just...are you that Lil Bro?” You hear a huff.

 

“Yeah, but I’m not exactly fond of the name. What had you so close to freaking out outside, kid?” You cringe a little. So it was the same Bitty.

 

“I uh...I get anxious when I go places. When I have to be around people. That sort of thing.” You hear a light chuckle.

 

“Maybe a Bitty isn’t the right choice then, sweetheart.” You shrug with the shoulder the tiny skeleton isn’t currently using as a chair.

 

“I don’t have a choice. It’s either this or become someone’s burden just cause I can’t live alone anymore.” There’s silence for a while, during which you wonder if the little guy left, before two tiny hands are gently patting the side of your neck.

 

“Give me a hand, here, kiddo?” You raise one of your hands and hold it steady as the little guy hops on, balancing as well as he can before deciding sitting is easier. Once he’s comfortable, he looks up at you. “Just cause you have problems doesn’t make you a burden. I mean, hell, Bittys literally can’t survive without someone to take care of us. Doesn’t mean we’re burdens, just means we need a lil more help than other people might.” 

 

He shrugs before continuing. “If you want, I could help you find somebody to adopt that’d take care of you. I’d offer myself, you seem like a nice kid, but there’s a couple buddies of mine I’m not comfortable enough leavin’.” He winks, and you smile.

 

“I mean...I was thinking about it, and I don’t think getting one would be very healthy for whoever I picked. I’m afraid they’d be lonely sometimes…” You huff at your own inability to take care of another damn person, but that’s how it is. There’s silence for a moment longer, before the little guy stands up, stretching and smirking up at you.

 

“How about you meet my friends, and then decide if you wanna give it a go?” You stare down at him for a moment, torn between doing as he suggests and just running back home to sleep off the barely staved off panic attack you’ve been fighting all morning. He seems to notice and smiles. “I can get Ma Jacki to bring them in here, if that would be better.” You nod gratefully, and he blips off. You relax back in your chair, still trying to control your breathing, your thoughts more than centered on just wishing this was over so you could go home.

 

Maybe this would be what you needed in your life. Maybe this was going to be a horrible mistake. You’d just have to wait and see how it played out.


	2. Remy, Erik, and Essex

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've had two flare up days in a row, I'm exhausted as fuck, I'm sorry for the nerd I splattered all over this chapter lol
> 
> Bonus: if anyone can tell me (without looking it up!!!!!!) who the three Bittys are named after, you guys can choose a new Bitty for future chapters (within reason...there are quite a few I would have no clue how to write). Crush and Lady Pterosaur, you two can't because I already told you XDDD
> 
> Enjoy T_T

It's few minutes before Ma Jacki, as the Lil Bro had called her, comes back from what you could only assume was where the other Bittys are kept. He immediately pops back up to your hand, smiling up at you as he makes himself comfortable.

 

“They’re both little edgelords, but I think they’ll like you well enough.” he assures. You can’t help but disagree, but you smile to yourself as he begins to pat your hand, trying to keep you calm. Why can’t other humans be more like this?

 

“This is Boss and Edgy, Lil Bro tells me you wanted to meet them?” Jacki asks as she finally, carefully makes her way over, navigating around the different display stands. You look up and nod, noticing two more skeletons in her cupped hands. Right now, really the only defining characteristics is that they’re both wearing black and red. You stare at them for a moment, your mind blank, before you belatedly realize it might be bit easier to talk to them if you’re sitting on the ground.

 

You make sure Lil Bro is secure in your hand before you stand and settle yourself on the floor. You wince; your knees are  _ not  _ going to let you sit like this for long. Once you’re settled, you look up to Jacki, who smiles and sets the two Bittys on the floor in front of you.

 

“You two behave, I’ll be at the front desk if any of you need anything.” She watches for the two standing just in front of your crossed legs to nod before shuffling off. You look back down to the little dudes and wince a smidge as they both turn to glare at you.

 

“Aw, come off it, guys. They ain’t gonna do nothin’.” The Bitty in your hand comes to your defense, but the other two just huff skeptically. You swallow, before looking back at your palm.

 

“If you wa-want, I-I-I…” You pause. “I thought of a name other than Lil Bro, if you want to hear it.” He looks up at you with an encouraging smile and you find it in yourself to smile back. “What about Remy?” He stares at you in silence for a moment, his confusion pretty clear. You aren’t about to tell him where the name came from; if he and the other two let you adopt them, they’ll find out anyways. The silence lingers a little too long, just long enough for your mind to start convincing you that you messed up, when he smiled and nods, shrugging his shoulders.

 

“Sounds a hell of a lot better than Lil Bro. What do you two think?” He looks back down to the other two skeletons, who you discover have climbed up onto your knees. They glare at you critically still, but the shorter one, an Edgy you think? Smirks.

 

“Sounds like a shit name for a shit bro.” Remy huffs and hops down, getting in a playful scuffle with the Edgy. You smile as they fight, both of them smirking as they tussle. You hear a deep sound and look over to who you can only assume is Boss. His red eyelights flash a little as he looks you up and down, before putting out his hand. You blink, but follow the gesture, a little surprised as he climbs into your palm. He stands tall, taller than Remy, you think, studying your face. You’re not entirely sure what he’s looking for, but he seems to come to a decision and nods to himself.

 

“Human, if you were to give my brother and I a name, what would they be?” His voice is very regal and gruff, fitting of his appearance if only he were taller than seven inches. You think for a moment, giving him a long look, before nodding to yourself in a sage way.

 

“I would name you Erik Lehnsherr. As for your brother…” You look to the Edgy who is reclining on Remy, the two of them having tired themselves out. You can’t help but smile. “I’d name him Nathaniel Essex. But I’d probably just call him Essex.” Remy looks up as Boss claps his hands, jumping back down to the two of them. 

 

“I approve of this human. I believe we will be adequately cared for.” As the two other Bittys look up at you in shock, you wonder how hard it is to actually get Bos-Erik’s seal of approval. By the way they both just kind of look at each other for a moment, it must be pretty hard. “Brother! Go say hello to our new owner, Remy and I will go speak with Ma Jacki.” You have to hold back a smile of delight as Erik bosses the other two around, although neither of them seem really all that bothered by it.

 

The Edgy stands and shoves his hands in the pockets of the fuzzy black jacket he wears, almost sizing you up as Remy takes a hold of Erik’s arm and blips off again. You focus on the smallest of the trio, wincing as he flinches back a little, miniscule droplets of crimson sweat running down the back of his skull. You can relate.

 

He finally matches your gaze, his grin growing sharp. “Are you planning on hurting any of us?” Well, that was about as blunt as you can get. You shake your head.

 

“Not at all. At least, not on purpose, I am a major klutz.” Maybe he can hear the honesty in your voice as the tension seemingly leaves him, though you can read the tells of anxiety pretty fucking easily. He nods, closing his eyes.

 

“What name did you give me, exactly? Please tell me it’s not derogatory, Boss’ll never let me hear the end of it…” He sounds almost pleading. You snicker lightly at the fact that he calls his brother “Boss”, before you give him a serious look.

 

“I named you Nathaniel Essex. He is one of the most fearsome and  _ sinister  _ villains of all time.” You have to hold back a chuckle at your own pun, but it seems your words have the intended effect as Essex’s eyelights might as well be filled with sparkles. It seems you have yourself some new roommates...the thought brings you back to the building anxiety in your stomach.

  
You hope to god they won’t feel too upset with you if you disappear in your room for like a week.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DingDingDing!!!
> 
> It was a team effort, but you guys surprised me with the X Men knowledge lol Next chapter we'll talk about how to choose the Bitty
> 
> I promise, I will answer comments in the morning, but rn i need sleep T_T Goodnight, all ^^


	3. Finally Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy

You really wish you didn’t have to keep them in what might as well be a Build-a-Bear Workshop box until you got home, but Jacki had insisted, saying it would keep them safe. You agreed and signed all the papers she gave you, listening as she gave you some tips for how to take care of them. It helps you already looked up a lot of stuff on the different kinds of Bittys. You’ll have to remember to talk to them about breaking shit...especially Essex...

 

“We’re almost there, guys, I got the AC cranked up so it won’t be hot much longer.” Summer time is your worst enemy. Fucking heat waves...you shake your head as you finally reach your house. It was determined that you weren’t exactly well enough to get a driver’s license, so walking everywhere is kinda a must. On days like this, however, you really wish cabs are a thing where you live.

 

After messing with the damn lock for a good five minutes of anger and fury, you kick the door open and head straight for the kitchen. You set the white cardboard box on top of the wooden table, then collapse in a chair. You can hear the three of them talking quietly to each other as you lay your head down on the cool surface, simply taking a moment to appreciate the fact that at least the inside of your home doesn’t make you feel like your skin is about to melt off.

 

“Hey, you gonna let us out anytime soon?” You sit up a bit, just enough to pull the box over and open the flaps. You slowly tilt the box, giving them ample time to situate themselves, until it’s on its side. The three of them walk out, Erik immediately giving your living quarters a judgemental stare. You would shrug if you had the energy.

 

“Hey, Essex?” You wait until you have his attention, the little dude more than likely still not used to his new name. The three of them look up to you, Remy already relaxing on one of the towels you keep on the table. “If you’re going to break shit, could you let me know? I’m not gonna have the energy to clean it up until tomorrow at least and I’d rather not cut myself stepping on broken glass or whatever.”

 

Both Essex and Erik stare at you for a moment, looking confused. Neither of them say anything, however, so Remy rolls his eyes (somehow) and speaks up. “You don’t care if he breaks your stuff?” Both of the edgier skeletons nod in agreement. You chuckle, settling your chin on the tabletop.

 

“I mean, I’d rather you didn’t, but hey, shit happens. I don’t have much that’s all that important in the first place.” You close your eyes, kinda wishing you could take a nap, but you need to make sure you have food for your new buddies. That and you aren’t sure they’ll be safe to leave alone any time soon. So, with an inward groan, you make yourself sit up.

 

“So, what do you guys like to eat? Mustard and Honey for you two, right?” You nod to Remy and Essex, who nod respectively. Erik huffs.

 

“You two are not about to eat nothing but condiments, it’s not healthy.” You and Remy smile fondly as Essex immediately starts arguing with him. You take the opportunity to relax back in your chair, staring back at your fridge while you vainly try to remember what the fuck you have food-wise. Mostly a lot of easy to make meals, such as frozen pizzas and pre-breaded chicken strips. You had other things as well, like fruit and vegetables, but you had a feeling none of the three of them would be all that excited about apples and broccoli. 

 

“Human!” You jerk a little as Erik screams at you, dutifully ignoring as Essex and Remmy chuckle at your reaction. “You will give us a tour of your home.” You raise a brow, holding back a smirk as Erik mimics the expression. Sighing, you get to your feet, stretching just long enough to regret it before setting your hands on the table.

  
“Let’s go then, Mc Bossy Britches.” You smile as Erik screeches in indignation, stomping his foot. It’ adorable, really.


	4. Twenty Minutes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so, about the new Bitty that will be here much later, here's the deal:
> 
> You guys can vote on the following, votes end on the 18 of this month.  
> (sorry about not including the ammazolie bittys, I would have no idea how to write them T_T)
> 
> Sansy (Sans Bitty)- 6  
> G (UT Grillby Bitty)- 4  
> Papy (Papyrus Bitty)- 1  
> Grimby (UF Grillby Bitty)- 5  
> Cherry (Dif version UF Sans Bitty)- 6  
> Baby Blue (US Sans Bitty)- 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy ^^

You start the tour with the kitchen, pointing out where all the food and cups and shit are located so that the independent buggers can find it all when you aren’t available. This doesn’t require you to hold them, but actually moving about the house will. Remy pops up on your shoulder no problem when he notices your indecision as you look towards the doorway. Erik and Essex, however, take a little more convincing.

 

“I’m gonna have to carry you two if I’m going to give you a proper tour.” You keep your voice as...not-bossy as you can, hoping that it’ll make things a bit easier. You can tell they still don’t really trust you, even if it was their decision in the end to let you adopt them. Erik glares at you for a moment before scoffing, using his athletic skills to climb up you arm and to the same shoulder Remy is resting on. Essex, however, doesn’t look like he’s about to move any time soon.

 

“Ah, uh...you guys can go on without me, I don’t really need a tour…” You can see the little guy start sweating, his crimson eyelights darting here and there as he offers what you’re sure is supposed to be a snarky, self-assured smile. If anything, it’s an anxiety filled grimace, but you aren’t about to say anything.

 

For a moment none of you say anything, Erik obviously working up to some kind of lecture and you just really not sure what to do, then Remy speaks up, his eyes locked with Essex’s. 

 

“She’s not gonna hurt you. Get up here.” There’s some history in how he says it, something shared between the three of them that makes Essex shudder a little, before he pops in place between the other two. You want to tell him that if it really bothers him that much, he doesn’t have to do shit, but Remy just gives a little tug to your earlobe.

 

“Ready when you are, sweetheart.” You can hear the request to drop it in his voice, so you do.

~.~

“And this is my bedroom. Kinda my safe place? Maybe, uh...you guys can come in whenever, just don’t like, go through all my shit if you don’t mind.” You set the three of them down on your dresser, which is tall enough that they can see the entire room. It’s nothing impressive honestly, though you’re pretty damn proud of the fact that it doesn’t look trashed by any means. Really though, now that you live alone there’s no one to just leave stuff everywhere.

 

“So uh...what do you mean by safe place?” You look over to find Essex staring up at you while Remy and Erik are talking to each other about different things while they look around. You tilt your head, thinking for a moment just how much to tell them. Really, the whole truth would probably be only fair.

 

“I get really uh...um…” You stop, fighting to get the word you want back in the forefront of your mind. “I get really anxious sometimes? And it makes it hard to be around people, or even be in certain places where I might have to be around people.” You sit on the edge of your bed, sinking into the plush mattress. “Sometimes I only feel safe in here.” You shrug, then wince a little as a mildly sharp pain shoots through the muscle.

 

Essex seems to understand what you mean, at least. He nods, then turns back to look at the other two. They seem done with the tour, so you flop back on the bed, groaning as your spine rebels the sudden movement. There’s a small pop beside your head, and a sudden, albeit miniscule dip in the comforters. You guess this means Remy brought Erik over, as all three of them are looking down at you.

 

“What’s up?” You snicker lightly, but if anything you just really want to go to sleep, as irresponsible as that might be. Remy and Essex just smirk and shake their heads, but Erik scowls down at you, his arms crossed.

 

“How, pray tell, are we supposed to work anything at this size?” You think about his words for a moment, before you groan.

 

“Gimmie like, twenty minutes to let my head catch up with the fact that I’ve got three roommates now, yeah?” You cover your face with your hands, careful not to knock any of them over. Essex starts laughing while Remy just pats your face, Erik grumbling to himself something about how fucking lazy you are. 

 

All you can do is smile.


	5. Messy Cheese

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, Baby Blue won the vote lol So that little guy will be joining us at some point ^^
> 
> Sorry for how fucking long it took for this update...I have the damn flu and it seems to not be going anywhere anytime soon >:l

You shouldn’t have left them alone. It had been a couple days, the ground rules laid out as far as what they could get into and where they could go (leaving the house without you was a  _ huge  _ no-no). After a whole day of nothing but watching over your new roommates and getting along fairly well with them, even with as standoffish as Erik and Essex tended to be, you decided it should be safe to take your afternoon nap.

 

Of course you overslept two hours past what you were supposed to, and of course the terror that was the Dark Bitty Brothers took full advantage. You got up and found you clothing strewn about the room, most of your shirts filled with tiny holes. Adventuring out into the rest of the house revealed that most of your cookware was in the floor, a few plates had been shattered, several books had been thrown off the shelves with pages torn out; the list of things just piled on the floor in random ass locations grew the longer you explored.

 

If you were a normal human being, you’d get onto them and clean the mess up, might take you a few hours but not all that big in the grand scheme of things. Instead you come to a stop in the dividing hall between the kitchen and the living room, staring at your table. There the little shits are, Erik and Essex smirking as they gauge your reaction, Remy still nowhere to be found. You raise a brow at the tiny pounding you can hear coming from one of the cupboards; flipping it open reveals a fairly pissed off bitty.

 

Remy immediately pops onto your shoulder, hiding in your hair as he flips off the other two. The loud, mocking laughter seems to get to him, so you leave the room and plop on the couch with a sigh. Remy is silent for a few minutes, before whispering.

 

“They just want to see if you’ll take them back.” His voice is still shaking; you get the feeling they usually don’t include him in their pranks. You nod.

 

“I know. They should know that nobody's going anywhere unless they want to.” You say the last part of your sentence loud enough that the other two can hear you, the matching scoffs the only indication that your words are heeded. There’s a sharp pop in front of you after a moment, signalling the arrival of the two brats. Essex seems particularly pleased with himself, though Erik looks like he’s about to reprimand you. You aren’t wrong.

 

“Why have you not begun cleaning this mess, human?!” You stretch out on the couch, fully sinking into the cushions before titling your head to look at the tiny skeleton. You smile.

 

“Because I don’t have the energy to do it today. If I did it right now, I’d be in bed all day tomorrow, and who knows what shenanigans you three-” a sharp cough erupts next to your ear, a small chuckle leaving you before you continue. “You  _ two _ , what shenanigans you  _ two  _ would get up to. Now, am I cooking supper tonight? Because if so, it’s gonna be frozen pizzas.” You would laugh at the look of disgust Erik is throwing your way if you weren’t a little afraid he might attack you in your moment of weakness. Those bones hurt.

 

“I will be preparing dinner tonight, AND NOT AS AN APOLOGY!” And with that Erik was leaving the room, cape billowing out dramatically behind him. You know there’s literally no way for him to hurt himself unless he stands directly on the electric burners, so you relax further. If the mac n cheese he had made the night before was any indication, the little guy was a damn good cook. He just might need help getting any pasta he needed into the pot later on.

 

Essex simply gapes up at you for the longest time once his brother leaves, clearly wanting to ask you something but not at all sure how to do so. You let the little dude think about it, wanting him to get it out on his own, but after a while it’s pretty clear he won’t do so without any prompting.

 

“What is it?” He jumps a little at your voice, sweating once more before looking to see if Remy is possibly listening in. The tiny snores you can hear must be a comfort, because Essex finally sits on the edge of the table, pulling his tiny black coat further around him.

 

“You...you really aren’t mad? About the mess?” He looks like he really regrets asking as soon as the words leave his mouth, but you keep your voice calm and light.

 

“Naw, not really. I’ve raised kids from babyhood to bratty teens, I’ve raised dogs and cats from birth to death. You guys aren’t pets by any means, but having someone new in your life is always gonna cause some kind of mess eventually. Just how life is.” You almost shrug, as if to punctuate your point, and remember last second that Remy is taking a nap there. Essex seems to understand what you mean, at least for the most part. You smile. “Basically, you guys could do pretty much anything and I wouldn’t take you back. Bad times comes with the territory, just gotta go with the flow.”

 

This time you do shrug, though carefully so you don’t wake up the little dude still sawing logs next to your ear. Essex nods, looking away with a frown. You can only hope he doesn’t decide to push the “you guys could do pretty much anything”, because just this mess is gonna take you forever.

 

“HUMAN! I REQUIRE YOUR ASSISTANCE!” You snicker, putting Remy carefully on the couch cushion before shuffling towards the kitchen.

  
“Coming, McBossy Britches!” The small screech of outrage fills you with joy.


	6. Eggactly What is the Problem Here?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since it's been so long (sorry TnT), here's a character name thingie:
> 
> Erik- Boss Bitty  
> Remy- Lil Bro Bitty  
> Essex- Edgy Bitty
> 
> Enjoy!!

“You guys want anything sweet?” You look down to your cart, the child seat pushed out and filled with your jacket so the three tiny dudes can shop without hassle. Erik has been the main one in charge of what you’ve bought so far (which, thankfully he hasn’t been to grumpy when you have to buy the generic rather than the name brand), but when he vetoed the honey and mustard your two other roommates so craved, it had caused quite a little fight.

 

Until the three of them stopped fighting you had hidden in one of the back aisles...actually, the liquor one, now that you thought about it. Not too many people made their way through, and those that did made the decision they didn’t need beer that badly. By the end of it Essex and Erik were ignoring each other, Remy just rubbing his skull as though he had a headache. Poor little dude probably did. You were certainly holding one off, with all the screaming you had a front row seat to.

 

You definitely didn’t hide a bottle of mustard and honey in the cart when Erik was busy picking noodles.

 

Which brings you back to now. You stopped at the sweets aisle, the home of baked goods and candies, all the things you usually didn’t splurge on, but what the hell. You deserved a bit of a reward for sticking this whole trip out so far. Erik gave the aisle his best stink eye, but you could see the sparkles in his eyes at some of the gourmet chocolate. Essex looked more or less indifferent until he caught sight of the different varieties of brownies. Remy remained uninterested as far you you could tell, but that made sense you supposed. Bro did drink honey anytime he was inclined.

 

You grab a box of brownie mix and a pack of multi fruit-infused chocolates, throwing them into the cart and finally making your way up to the check out. The edgy brothers look over your work with a cautious eye as you put everything through the self-check out, why you aren’t entirely sure but who knows with them. Remy just lounges on the bed he’s made out of your jacket.

 

Once you have everything in bags and packed into the small pull-cart you brought with you, you return the cart and slip on your jacket, slipping Erik and Essex up onto your shoulder. Remy prefers to sleep in your pocket, what with the rain that decided to mess with your life. The other two refuse to stay inside your pockets, however, and so just get wet. You can kinda understand that; if you had to guess, Essex definitely seems like the type to not like enclosed spaces. Erik just doesn’t like being in the dark alone.

 

If he knew that you knew, you would be in such crap.

 

Thankfully the store is close by to the house, leaving you to hurry along as quickly as you’re able while making sure they don’t fall off your shoulder, the walk itself only taking a few minutes. Once you get the front door open (damn locks) you slip off your rain boots and make your way to the kitchen, rugs set down to sop up any water you know you’re dripping everywhere. Erik and Essex are set on the kitchen table and given a towel to dry themselves off with, Remy is fished out of your pocket and set, blinking and waking up from his small (heh) nap, beside them. Then you empty your pull-cart, setting all the plastic sacks along the counters. 

 

Putting everything up can wait until you’ve dried off at least a little, so once you let your roommates know where you’re going you head back to your bedroom to slip on your house-clothes. Which is just a baggy t-shirt and pajama pants. Comfort comes first in just about every situation, if you can help it.

 

Putting your hair up in a towel before you head back towards the kitchen, you finish balancing it on the top of your head by the time you walk into what can only be described as a waiting catastrophe. Erik and Remy are carefully looking through the bags, Essex using his magic to set things on the table. It looks like they want to help, but to be honest the whole thing is just making you nervous.

 

“Hey, uh…” Your voice gives out on you as Essex begins to lose his grip on a carton of eggs, the whole mess flashing before your eyes. You rush forward and catch it, thankfully, but find that you must have yelled or something in surprise, because Essex is trembling, refusing to look up at you.

 

You blink, before carefully setting down the eggs on the table and sitting at a chair to get closer to his level. He backs up a step, clearly terrified. Of you. You aren’t even sure how to take that, so you ignore your own feelings on the matter and slowly hold your hands up so he can see them.

 

“Hey Essex?” His name seems to knock him out of it a bit, though he still looks frightened. “I’m not mad, okay? Even if you had broken all the eggs, I wouldn’t be mad. Wouldn’t eggactly be the greatest thing to clean up, but whatever.” You make sure to put a lot of unneeded emphasis on the very much so intentional pun, if only to make him laugh. 

 

The deep chuckle that follows is music to your ears. You smile, resting your arms on the table as you listen to Erik grumble about the pun behind you. You know he doesn’t mind, not really. Not when you just helped keep his brother out of a panic attack with your  _ sharp wit _ .

 

Hell yeah. Score, you. 

  
You really need to stop being such a nerd.


	7. Tears

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter chapter, small anxiety attack.
> 
> Enjoy

It starts with the sound of ripping pages, the noise pulling you from the book you had been immersed in. Carefully putting a sleeping Remy in one of the nearby napping spots (he had helped you set them up before taking a very well deserved nap), you make your way through the house, following the ominous sounds down the hall and to your room.

 

The small trail of ripped, colored paper leads under your bed. The sounds have stopped suddenly, as though whoever it is tearing something up caught the sounds of you making your way into the room. You make sure to make your presence known by scuffing your feet, stepping in front of the bed before bending down to look underneath.

 

Erik glares back at you, red eyelights flashing in warning, Essex in his arms. They’re surrounded by tiny shreds of paper, one of your less important but still beloved comics off to the side with large chunks missing. You ignore it for the large tears falling down the small, edgy skeleton’s face, Essex doing anything but looking up at you.

 

You blink. What could have upset him this much? Had his brother caught him tearing up your things and gotten on to him? It didn’t seem likely; the two were usually in cahoots when messing with your stuff. You focus back on the two as Essex’s voice finally reaches you, his whimpered apologies making your heart shatter in your chest. Erik seems as though he doesn’t really know what to do, doing what he can to comfort his brother through what you can only assume is some kind of attack.

 

A hand reaches out to you, your own scooping the two up before you can really think about it. Erik huffs, glaring up at you. The glare fades after a moment as you set him carefully back down, your expression letting him know you aren’t mad. You’re sure there are tears slipping down your face as you begin petting the small skeleton’s skull, Essex’s breath hitching as he pushes into the contact, hiding his skull in your shirt.

 

You gently caress his back, calming him down and helping him ground himself until he pushes away from your chest, wiping the red streaks off his face.

 

“Thanks.” His voice is scratchier than usual. You just smile.

 

“Don’t worry about it. Wanna go watch some crappy TV and eat some popcorn?” He shrugs, which is honestly the best response you could have hope for. Once Erik is firmly on your shoulder you make your way back to the living room, Remy waiting for the three of you. Essex crawls into the blankets beside him, covering himself from the sockets down. Erik joins you as you make popcorn, helping you with the salt before giving you a stink eye as you grab a few cups of mustard and honey.

 

Once everyone is settled you start up a random movie, watching as your three buddies snuggle together, even the edgelord.

 

Its endearing. You’re glad you’re here to see it.


End file.
